


ninja games

by theformerone



Series: tumblr prompts [15]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 15:16:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15027428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theformerone/pseuds/theformerone
Summary: Shikamaru gets beat up by a bunch of twelve year olds. Chouji is very sympathetic.For fluff prompt no. 7 “Guys with rock hard abs make awful pillows.“





	ninja games

Shikamaru plops to the ground like he’s actually dying, even though he’s only out of breath. Chouji laughs even though his clothes are sticking uncomfortably to his armpits, sweat damp on his forehead in the mid afternoon sunlight. 

“They’re devils,” Shikamaru groans, gesturing broadly at where Sakura’s genin team is making it their personal mission to tag team and destroy every jounin sensei Sakura throws them at. 

“What else do you expect?” Chouji asks, putting his hands on his hips. 

The game of ninja tag had gotten wildly out of control when Sakura announced midway that they’d be using Fourth War rules. Meaning, the highest ranking shinobi on the battlefield could only be gotten out by a three way combo attack. 

Chouji is very glad to still be at chuunin rank, thank you. Shikamaru had played Kaguya’s role unhappily longer than anyone expected him to. With him tapping out, it left Sakura, Neji, and Sasuke as the highest ranking shinobi left in the game. Ino and Hinata’s teams were working together in a six man cell to take down Neji, and Chouji could tell it wouldn’t be long before Sakura’s team turned on their beloved master. 

“Not this,” Shikamaru grouches. “She’s taught them Chakra Scalpels. They’re twelve!”

Chouji watches Sakura’s genin start forming hand seals for a three man ninjutsu that’s probably way above their clearance level. 

“Kakashi-sensei didn’t really know how to teach in moderation either,” Chouji reasons. “Maybe she gets it from him.”

That gets Shikamaru to laugh, and Chouji looks down at him. His flak jacket is long gone, the black sleeves of his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His cheeks are flushed from running from nine genin for the last hour, and he has an arm thrown over his eyes to keep the sun off them. 

“Hey, Chouji,” he says, peeking one eye out from beneath his forearm. “Lay down, will you?”

Chouji blinks down at him. He doesn’t feel especially tired. There’s a dent in his chest plate from where one of Sakura’s boys kicked him, which is impressive enough on its own. He wasn’t sure of what kind of nepotism made sure Shinachiku and Sarada both ended up being genin under their own mother, but it clearly wasn’t doing anything bad for their education. 

Besides, Sasuke seems quite happy telling his kids where their footwork is wrong while they’re attacking him. Sakura is similarly cheerful. The only one missing from the fray is Naruto, though Sage only knew he’d be three times as bad as his wife and husband. 

Metal seemed to be keeping up well, all things considered. Any other kid being placed on a team with Team Seven’s kids on it would probably implode in a week. Then again, Metal is Lee and Gaara’s kid and those two could handle anything any time. 

“What for?” he asks, taking a knee anyway, and sitting beside Shikamaru. 

Shikamaru huffs, sitting up and turning around so that he can lay his head on Chouji’s thighs. He grumbles but throws his arm back over his eyes. 

“This’ll do I guess.”

Chouji puts his arms behind him to hold himself up, and he keeps an idle eye on the kids trying to browbeat a Rinnegan. 

“What were you after?” he asks. 

“I wanted to lay on your stomach,” Shikamaru complains, and Chouji chuckles at that, dropping a hand to where Shikamaru’s other arm is splashed across his own stomach. “But your damn armor is in the way.”

“Sorry to cause you trouble,” Chouji replies, in good humor. 

He watches Shikamaru crack a smile, then flinches when he hears what is most assuredly Sarada’s imitation of her mother’s battlecry.  That was gonna get ugly. 

“It’s fine, I guess,” Shikamaru says, feigning melodrama. “I like your stomach better than I like your thighs.”

And even that makes Chouji glow a little on the inside. His childhood insecurities about his size (or rather, his adamant urge to beat the shit out of anyone who insulted him about it) had long since faded. Still, it was nice to hear Shikamaru say it out loud. Like it was nice when he traced the stretch marks that skittered across Chouji’s body, little white lines on his arms and his belly and his thighs. 

“That’s good news,” he replies. “There’s plenty of both to keep you comfy.”

“Good,” Shikamaru says emphatically. “Guys with rock hard abs make awful pillows.“

Chouji snorts. 

“That’s not what you were saying when you were fourteen and your crush on Kiba was only about as obvious as the Hokage Monument.”

Shikamaru reaches up and puts his hand on Chouji’s face, gently smushing it and his words until Chouji can only laugh. 

“You be quiet about that,” Shikamaru gripes. “There’s a twelve year old hurtling your way.”

And sure enough, Chouji only has a second to form the seals for the Bubun Baika technique to make his hand large enough to be able to actually catch a child before she concussed herself on the ground behind him. Thankfully, Chouji’s had less time to perform the technique. 

Himawari narrows her Byakugan eyes, and reads up on his palm, digging her heels in so she can propel back off. 

“Thank you, Chouji-jii!” she bellows before diving back into the fight.

“Kick some butt!” he cheers, shrinking his hand and rubbing at the space where she landed and launched from. 

“I don’t know how they managed to have a daughter that looked just like Hinata but had Ino’s entire attitude,” Shikamaru says, having uncovered his eyes to watch their goddaughter leap back into the fray. 

Chouji shrugs. 

“Maybe we’ll find out when we have one,” he says. 

Shikamaru’s cheeks turn pink at that and he turns on his side so Chouji can only see the side of his face. 

“We’d need to have two,” Shikamaru grumbles. “And Ino would put us through hell for asking her to have another so they’re all in the same year.”

Chouji shrugs. 

“So she says,” he agrees. “But they’ve been talking. Hinata wants to carry their next ones.”

Shikamaru puckers his lips. 

“Then we’ll see when we’ll see,” he says. 

Chouji laughs, takes Shikamaru’s hand in his, and drops a kiss against his knuckles. 

“Guess we will.”


End file.
